2013/06/24

Well what a rotten few weeks I have had :( Added to the last month or more it has been just one disaster after another. Starting with my lovely Rover. I had to ride through flood water heading for Esperence in December 2011. The air bag suspension started to fail because the pump was unable to keep the supply up. RACV or equivalent in WA got me going and told me to buy a new compressor. This one was water damaged. It seems that local Ford Dealer is also the Land Rover dealer and when it was recalled several years earlier they had replaced the compressor with another Ford built one which very quickly failed and was replaced again. I wish they had left the genuine Land Rover in place. The compressor would have still be sealed and I guarantee it woud be still working. So I ordered a new pump, from Kiama 4x4 and when I arrived in Adelaide took car in to have pump replaced. According to dealer their was nothing wrong with it and he merely sealed up the compressor and it ran ok till last week when it failed on the way to Bendigo. Add that to the contaminated fuel in the last 12 months and I have been experiencing a disaster.My poor old car is now fixed. The Rover failed because of rotten service and because a gutless United Fuel Manager sold bio diesel and I have been told my mix was 50% or more. Considering the tank had 30 litres in it when I refilled that equates to pure bio diesel. Nothing wrong with the vehicle, its just the lousy morals of the people you have to deal with today :(Ok in a few hours I am starting my trip to the Gold Coast to see my Mum and Dad on their 90th Bday (Celebrating both on Friday)

Just an update!

The new base is now finished linking the helix with the temporary track to the Coal Siding.The permanent connection to Wodonga will be constructed after the temporary track is laid and tested ok. Now I can make it ready for track. First the SG crosses the Wanganella station yards and heads North, slowly dropping 8cm to the BG level which rises 4cm to reduce the grade.

The BG track and the SG track arrive at the same level and proceed around to Wodonga Station. Here I am laying out the temporary diverge just prior to the new SG loop A BG and SG track will continue to lower until it can pass under the Wanganella to Wodonga track and enter the Coal siding thus creating a return loop (temporary)

typically I found that I had not allowed sufficient room for the SG loop. I need to provide more roadbed in order to lay the loop. The BG closest to the front edge needs to move over 2 inches to create room for a third track (bugger)Here the temporary bg track crosses over the SG before the loop pointsAnd the SG will get a temporary point on the lower edge of this picture branching to the right and heading towards the lower level and the coal siding.And so now, its all waiting for my return :)

New Additions

New shed waiting for weathering. Was going to leave that name but it will become Wodonga Motor recyclers.

Beginnings (Blog starts here)

About my Railway

The Australian National Railways was established by the Whitlam Federal Government following a commitment made in the 1972 election to invite the states to hand over their railway systems to the federal government. In July 1975 Australian National Railways was formed taking over the operations of the federal government owned Commonwealth Railways.

The state governments of South Australia and Tasmania whose railway systems were deeply in debt, accepted. During the next two years discussions between these two states and the federal government resulted in a number of staffing and operating agreements being made that resulted in all South Australian Railways services (except for the Adelaide metropolitan passenger network) and all Tasmanian Government Railways services transferring to Australian National Railway in March 1978, the latter being re-branded AN Tasrail.

At first Victoria declined to hand over its Railways, however a change of Government after Bolte retired meant Victoria could be absorbed into AN as well. Despite doing everything they could to tarnish ALP leader Clyde Holding, The ALP were able to defeat Hamer who was seen to be just another Bolte, doing more of the same into the future.

Clyde Holding handed over Victorian Railways to the Commonwealth where it prospered as a division of AN retaining its VR colours until later when AN decided to re-brand it as V/Line.

My Railway thus reflects what could have been ;)And of course National Rail (Pacific National) has no place in my little scenario. Australian National was never privatised and has continually taken East Coast loads off the Highways. As well many branch lines were upgraded and Whitlam's policy of decentralisation actually moved employment to towns with a ready pool of workers, which of course took the pressure of Melbourne which was starting to expand as bush kids moved away from the Country in search of education and employment ( just as Gough Whitlam envisaged it would do)Rod Young

N452 (Background photo)

At Wodonga after being towed into loco following my Kelly Street Accident. A semi load of dog food ran the level crossing derailing the 1220 Down Pass

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Photographs

All photos are copyrighted to their respective owners.All can be clicked on to see bigger images :)